Reprimanded Rep Retaliates

Former staffers would 'rather be at war in Afghanistan'

Representative Laura Richardson (D., Calif.) has come under scrutiny from the House Committee on Ethics again for allegations of retaliation and intimidation against staffers who cooperated in a completed ethics probe into Richardson, according to Politico.

The panel warned the California Democrat that it is continuing its investigation into her operation and could turn the House probe over to the Justice Department if the accusations prove true.

On Aug. 2, the full House, acting on the Ethics Committee’s recommendation, unanimously voted to reprimand Richardson for improperly pressuring her government staff to work on her campaign — a big no-no for federal officials. She was also reprimanded for using official House resources, including aides, for personal errands, as well as obstructing the ethics investigation. She was fined $10,000.

But even after this official punishment, the committee continued to receive allegations of misconduct by Richardson, after she accepted the rebuke on the House floor in a dramatic scene just before Congress left Washington for its annual August recess.

Politico reported that the complaints against Richardson’s office leadership are “legendary,” with one former staffer saying she would “rather be at war in Afghanistan” than work for Richardson.